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About Mineral Classics

"Mineral Classics", established in 1970, and located
near Black Hawk, Colorado, is a leading company
dedicated to supplying excellent quality mineral
specimens to collectors, museums and anyone
interested in the science and hobby of mineralogy. The
company owner, Richard A. Kosnar, is a world
renowned mineral collector and dealer.
In 1993, a new mineral species, KOSNARITE, from Mt.
Mica, Auburn, Maine was named in his honor for his
contribution to the mineralogical community. He is
extremely proud to have a pegmatite species,
Potassium Zirconium Phosphate, from Maine bearing
his name. (Ref: American Mineralogist, Vol. 78, No. 5 &
6, pgs. 653-656, May/June 1993). Kosnar is listed in
The International Directory of Distinguished Leadership
published by the American Biographical Institute, 1992.

Kosnar was born in Jersey City, New Jersey in 1946,
and began collecting minerals and fossils as a
youngster in June 1957. On May 5, 1963, he made his
first trip to a Trap Rock quarry to collect Zeolites and
associated species at the Upper New Street Quarry in
Paterson, New Jersey (now extinct and built over).
Kosnar developed a love for Trap Rock minerals and
collected at various quarries in New Jersey from 1963
through 1971, including hundreds of trips to the
Summit Quarry (also now extinct and built over) and the
world famous Prospect Park Quarry. In November of
1963, he discovered the first Greenockite crystal ever
found from the Summit Quarry. He also worked as the
project engineer of the Route I-80 Roadcut, West
Paterson Section, from August 1969 through February
1970, where Trap Rock specimens were recovered
during the excavation for the new highway. Over the
past 40 years Kosnar has continued to collect New
Jersey Trap Rock minerals and has assembled and
maintains one of the finest comprehensive collections
of these minerals in private hands. While in New
Jersey he also assembled a collection of fine, old, rare
Franklin and Sterling Hill minerals.

In the summer of 1967, Kosnar collected purple
Fluorapatite and various colored Tourmaline crystals at
Mt. Apatite, Auburn, Maine. While there, he acquired
what some consider to be the finest purple Fluorapatite
crystal on matrix in the world. In 1968, he spent time
collecting Tourmaline and Fluorapatite and associated
species at the Pulsifer Quarry, Paris, Maine. He
mined for gem Tourmaline crystals at the Gillette
Quarry, Haddam Neck, Connecticut in 1968, as well as
the Strickland Quarry, Portland Township, Connecticut
for lilac colored Fluorapatite and Tourmaline crystals.
Also in 1968, Kosnar mined the Slocum Quarry in East
Hampton, Connecticut for gem Heliodor (golden
Beryl) crystals and gem rough with the owner of the
quarry, Al Slater.

Kosnar arrived in Colorado on May 5, 1970, where he
met Clarence Coil and his son, David, who were
longtime Colorado field collectors experienced in
mining Amazonite from the Crystal Peak area. In July
of 1970, Kosnar formed a partnership with the Coils to
begin a very exciting Amazonite mining venture. Their
first collecting trip together to the old Reeser claim
resulted in a spectacular find of the darkest blue-green
color Amazonite found at that time. After this great find,
Kosnar decided to permanently move to Colorado in
October 1971. Together, Kosnar and the Coils mined
Amazonite every year from 1970 through 1986. During
this period of time they discovered some of the finest
color and quality Amazonite crystal groups ever found,
in addition to Albite, Smoky Quartz, Goethite, Fluorite,
and many rare species all of which were commercially
mined at C. G. Coil Micro I Claim (1972), C. G. Coil
Micro II Claim (1974), R. A. Kosnar Yucca Hill Claim
(1975-1977), R. A. Kosnar Aspenwood Prospect (1985)
and R. A. Kosnar Raspberry Hill Prospect (1986).

Kosnar began other mining projects in Colorado as
well. From April 1, 1976 through August 1976, he
mined at the Dixie mine in Idaho Springs for
specimens of leaf and crystallized Gold on matrix. In
1977, Kosnar reopened the Sweet Home mine in Alma
to mine specimen Rhodochrosite. During that summer
he encountered Rhodochrosite, Hbnerite, Fluorite,
Svanbergite, and the worlds best Goyazite and
Stromeyerite crystals. Some of the other localities in
Colorado where Kosnar has mined include the
Calumet Iron mine for Epidote, Quartz, and Uralite
crystals; Italian Mt. for Andradite variety, Topazolite,
Vesuvianite, Clinozoisite, and Diopside crystals; and Mt.
Antero for Aquamarine, Phenakite, Feldspar and
Topaz crystals.

Living in Colorado sparked Kosnars interest in
Colorado minerals. His exceptional private collection
from Colorado localities includes a fantastic suite of
leaf and crystallized Golds, Fluorites, and
Rhodochrosites, as well as suites of minerals from Mt.
Antero, the ore mines of the San Juan Mts. and the
Leadville area, Amazonite and associated species
from the Crystal Peak area, and many antique and rare
specimens.

In 1976, Richard Kosnar and Harold Miller authored an
article for the Mineralogical Record (The Colorado
Mineral Belt, Vol. 7, No. 6, pgs. 278-307). It was the
first colour photography issue ever published by the
magazine, and over the years the sold out issue has
often demanded record prices at auctions. In the mid
1990s, Kosnar also authored a series of articles about
Colorado Gold and localities for the Italian mineral
magazine, Rivista Mineralogica Italiana. The
series of articles includes the histories of the areas
with old photographs, as well as the mineralogy of the
mining districts with many interesting illustrations of
Gold specimens.

While hurricane, Ginger, flooded much of the southeast
in September 1970, Kosnar mined in localities in North
Carolina for Emerald, Rutile, Kyanite, and Rhodolite
Garnet. He mined Sapphire, Ruby, and Garnet gem
rough in Montana during the 70s and 80s, and many
exceptional and commercial gemstones were cut from
this material.
In July 1979, several years before anything was
available to the public from the Aquamarine deposits
of the Sawtooth Mts. in Idaho, Kosnar organized a
mining expedition there for some of the worlds finest
colour gem Aquamarine crystals, as well as
crystallized Topaz, Helvite, Spessartine, Smoky Quartz,
and Feldspar.

Kosnar was in partnership with the late dealer, Walt
Lidstrom, from 1972-1976 when Walt passed away.
He has also had limited partnerships over the years
with Dean McCrillis, Charlie Key, Clarence and David
Coil, and Intercontinental Mining Corp. with John Saul
of Paris, France.

During the 1970s, Kosnar made many trips to Brazil
and imported several thousand mineral specimens,
including three new species which were later named
Whiteite, Mn-Whiteite and Zanazziite. In 1972, he also
made a trip to the ore mines of Peru where he acquired
and imported some of the very first specimens of
octahedral Pyrite, Hbnerite, Enargite, Fluorite, and
Orpiment to be brought into this country.

Beginning in 1976 and continuing to the present,
Kosnar has imported many thousands of mineral
specimens from Bolivia including the worlds finest
plates of Venetian blue Vauxite crystals from Huanuni;
some of the finest Bolivian Cassiterites from Viloco and
Huanuni; incredible Paravauxite specimens from
Llallagua; the worlds best Franckeite crystals groups
and Andorite crystal specimens from the San Jose
mine in Oruro; world-class Vivianite crystal groups from
Morococala, Huanuni, Llallagua, and Chicote Grande;
as well as the beautiful Japan -Law Twin Quartz
crystals groups from Chicote Grande; and Ferberite
specimens from both Chicote Grande and Tasna.
From the world famous locality Cerro Rico in Potosí,
Kosnar was able to acquire a spectacular 6 twinned
Phosphophyllite crystal on matrix which is considered
by some to be the finest mineral specimen in
existence. Some of these specimens can be viewed in
our Hall of Fame section of this website. Along with
the world class specimens from Bolivia, Kosnar also
discovered two new species there. Aheyllite, named in
honor of Allen Heyl of the U.S.G.S., plus a new Silver
Lead Sulfide in the process of being described.

Recently, Mineral Classics has again imported
superb Bolivian specimens. These include great new
Ludlamite crystals on matrix and gem Vivianite crystals
from Huanuni; beautiful Valentinite crystals on matrix
from Colavi; the world's absolute finest Andorite and Potosíite specimens from
the San Jose mine; killer specimens Stannite (large sharp floater twins); bright, sharp Bournonite crystals on Quartz
and Pyrite matrix from Machacamarca; Augelite crystals
on Pyrite, Quartz and Siderite crystals from Tasna and Machacamarca; gem
quality, twinned Phosphophyllites from the famous Unificada mine in Potosí;
classic floater pseudomorphs of Copper after Aragonite from Corocoro; some of
the finest twinned a{100} Ferberite specimens extant from Tasna; outstanding
Vauxite, Paravauxite and Metavauxite specimens from the historic Siglo XX mine;
Fine quality Native Silver specimens (crystals and wires) plus silver sulfides
from the Potosí Mining District; and spectacular sharp, bright Magnetite
crystals on Feldspar matrix from Cerro Huañaquino.
These are the finest Magnetite specimens to be
available on the market since the famous Swiss Alpine
crystals. Many specimens from this new find are now
available on our site.

Also during the 70s, Kosnar traveled to Europe with
many extended stays in the Italian Alps. His first trip in
1971, initiated his love of Alpine minerals (as well as
many coveted European friendships), and he began
collecting classic European Alpine specimens from
Italy, France, Austria, and Switzerland. Kosnar has
assembled and is currently maintaining a high quality,
world-class, Alpine collection which includes the
worlds finest red octahedral Fluorites and Smoky,
Gwindel, and Faden Quartz specimens from France;
a magnificent twinned Hematite crystal on Quartz and a
classic, twinned, pink Fluorite octahedron on
water-clear Quartz crystals from Switzerland; beautiful,
classic Alpine, twinned Titanite crystals on matrix from
the Südtirol and world-class Hessonite Garnet
specimens from the famous locality of Val d'Aosta in
Italy; and from Austria the finest Epidote specimens
from the famous Knappenwand locality and a very
beautiful and rare 2 lavender color Apatite crystal from
Morknekar; as well as the worlds finest Hyalophane
crystal group from Zagradski Potok in Yugoslavia and
an old, classic Wulfenite specimen from Mezica, also in
Yugoslavia. As well as Kosnar's collection of classic
European Alpine minerals, he collects minerals from
Alpine-type localities around the world. He has one of
the finest collections of Russian Alpine-type minerals
in the U.S. which includes the worlds best Russian
Hematite, Prehnite, Diopside, Brookite, Axinite and
Uvarovite specimens. He also has exceptional suites
of specimens from other Alpine-type localities such
as Asbestos, Canada; Vermont; Pakistan; Colorado;
Pennsylvania; etc.

All in all, Kosnar has traveled throughout North
America, South America, Europe, and Morocco
including 18 countries and 47 states here in the U.S. in
pursuit of fine mineral specimens. He has procured
thousands and thousands of the worlds finest mineral
specimens for museums and collectors in the U.S. and
Europe.

Sadly, in 1986, Kosnar became seriously and
chronically ill and his traveling days ended. In December of 2006 he
suffered an aneurysm in his brain and
passed away on January 15, 2007.
He was incredibly strong, both mentally and physically and fought for many years
with his health issues. He was
in tremendous pain and essentially bedridden for the final 5 years of his life,
but his love for minerals was never compromised. Even in the
days leading to his death, Richard continued to expand his mineral collection,
and studied the minerals that had composed
his life's work.

Today, Mineral Classics is continuing in the procuring,
mining, importing, and sale of fine quality mineral
specimens, gemstones, and jewelry. Richard
Kosnar's son, Brian Kosnar, is now managing the
company and is already following in his fathers
footsteps traveling to mineral localities in pursuit of
specimens. Many specimens which Brian acquired
while at the mines in Bolivia are available on the
Bolivian Minerals page. Brian's email address is
brian@minclassics.com

During the Summer of 2002,
Richard's other son Brett Kosnar discovered and mined a new Amethyst locality
here in Gilpin County, Colorado. Brett has since taken an interest in gems
and jewelry and at the age of 18 began faceting gemstones in 2001 and creating custom
jewelry in 2003. You can see many of Brett's gems on our own website, and
various other websites. Brett also
displays his gems and jewelry at various shows during the year. Brett's email
address is brett@minclassics.com

We hope you enjoy our website and we look forward to
serving your mineral, gem and jewelry interests. Please feel free to email us.
We will be happy to provide any information we can about our business, our
family, and our love for minerals and gems.